Title: SUPER 8 (2011)
Nostalgia can be a powerful thing, for both good and bad reasons. Super 8 exemplifies both ends of the spectrum. On one hand, it harkens back to an era rich with the early works of Steven Spielberg, when ever the most jaded cinema-goer was swept up with elation, whimsy and wonder. The other hand though, begs to differ, how much joy is actually being derived from "Super 8", strictly from nostalgia alone. Don't misunderstand me, Super 8 is often a vastly entertaining film, but at the same time it is a film that wants to wallow in the glow of the past, without understanding how to make it's narrative stick.
Even if J.J. Abram's 3rd directorial effort is the greatest aping of an "Amblin" product ever, it's a testament to Abram's skill set. Looking back on such a short filmography, Abram's is a relatively easy director to pick apart. He's been lucky enough to start out on the top floor (Mission: Impossible III), move higher (Star Trek [2009]) before being allowed to write/direct his first original feature, and have it end up as a tent-pole summer event. Truth be told, each of the films, to a varying degree, endear themselves to the audience simply due to J.J. Abram's will, and the likability of said cast. The writing is never in question, thankfully, mostly because that is the glaring Achilles's Heel. Super 8 almost loses itself under the weight, though it only starts careening off a steep cliff within it's climax. If the point of the movie itself, is to recapture the woe-begone beginning days of Steven Spielberg, it's of note that the movie takes a page out of the Spielberg post 98: the inability to condense a film.
After all the harping is said and done, Super 8 is still a fantastically made film, one whose images are likely to linger with many a film-goer. The plot is rich with attention to detail, none more-so than when it tries as much as possible to entrench itself in 1979. Hair is still slightly feathered. Disco is starting to be looked down upon. People are baffled by the though of a personal cassette player, and no one, NO ONE......texts. Here kids have hobbies, and none more so than Joe, Charles, Cary, Martin and Preston. They all work tirelessly to make a horror film, under Charles watchful eye. Some of the best scenes of the film actually focus solely on the interaction between the friends, which seem as rich and true as anything in years. They enlist the help of rebellious Alice (Elle Fanning, proving that she got both the looks & talent from that family) to play a pivotal part in their little film, much to the enjoyment of our lead, Joe, who shares more of a past with Alice than he may know. One evening, the intrepid band are shooting at the local railway station, for what Charles deems "production value", and witness a horrendous train crash, one that only exists in the worst of nightmares. Little do the pint-sized guerrilla filmmakers know what lurks inside said train.
It's here that things start to split in "Super 8". One thread is creature feature, the other is a coming of age story. Each have their own share of moments, but there is a feeling that a separate film on each subject would have served the material better. A strange benefit of sorts, is that most of the time, whilst watching the actual feature, the situation is reversed. Only after removing oneself from the viewing experience do the cracks start to show. The wave of nostalgia is so strong it permeates everywhere, non-action oriented at least. J.J. Abram's hindrance is the creature feature aspect of the film. Seemingly dragged out of nowhere, the monster alien that Abram's unleashes seems a bit much. The monster eats/demolishes all that gets in his way, but the picture later asks for understanding and forgiveness. If the creature were merely a standard alien causing a ruckus, and not a large hulking mass, it wouldn't feel as diametrically opposed to the rest of the film.
Super 8 is an interesting beast. It's a summer film, but packed to the gills with lightly intriguing ideas and characters who seem real. It's a family film, a true matinee experience, but has enough blood and swearing to keep most children at bay. It's an amalgamation of "The Goonies", "Stand by Me", "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", "E.T.", and for the too too well versed "The Explorers". It's bustling with impeccable cinematography, winning performances, dread, suspense. It's a reminder of when films captured us......we can only hope that in the long run JJ Abrams is able to expand upon this ability and we can remember his film, rather than just those that came before.
**1/2 out of *****
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